December 14, 2010

The State of Like in America

Two days ago was my best day yet. Or at least it was my blog’s best day.

A buddy of mine put me in touch with this guy, Ed, who works with some other guys over at this website called Neatorama. And they were nice enough to put the link to my blog on their Facebook page.

Because of that, I had almost 300 hits! About 280 more than I’m used to having on any given Tuesday. Which is a pretty darn good increase, percentage-wise, but by no means viral. Or really even enough to make a penny on. I’m serious: not even one penny.

But still, I was so thankful to Ed for the cyber love. Like really thankful. Like exclamation points thankful! I actually can’t remember a better day since my wedding. (It has only been 5 months, and I have a really poor memory.)

Watching that stat tracker spike! Then trying to figure out where the traffic was coming from with the intensity of a movie hacker. Then finding the source to be Neatorama’s Facebook page and the 6,000 people who Like it. What a great way to spend a Tuesday!

And just like that, I understood social networking. It’s all about the love. Well, more like the Like. That’s how an audience grows. You link. I link. You Like. I Like. A quid pro quo Gazpacho. All these minds. All these ideas. Tangled up in this web. And whoever’s Liked the most, wins.

But me liking Ed isn’t nearly as important as him liking me. Because he’s more popular. And I want to be popular.

Since Ed liked my cartoons, and thought they were worth liking, he also offered to link me up to a bigger site he has some hooks in.

While I was ever thankful to Ed for such great news, I knew my site wasn’t ready for the big time just yet. So I spent several hours trying to get a Facebook Page made specifically for my cartoon blog. And then I spent several more hours trying to send that Page to all my “Friends” – friends I’ve basically been spamming regularly for the past three months.

I stayed up way too late getting the blog just right. I even did another cartoon, which I finished at exactly 3:30 in the morning, an hour which often gives me a false sense of quality.

Anyway, I went to bed hopeful. Ready to wake up and be presented to the world. My artistic cotillion!

Unfortunately, I woke up this morning to find the cyber-love had run dry. Ed said the link would have to wait till Monday. And out of my 576 Facebook friends, only 10 Like my Page, and that includes me and my wife.

On my Facebook Wall, I saw my latest post, a link to my latest cartoon – a cartoon I spent the better part of four hours creating. The cartoon which is currently leaving me sleep-deprived and neck-pained. The one that not one person Liked.

And then I looked at the post above my own. It was from a “Friend” of mine who had stayed up all night and successfully completed a really difficult stage of World of Warcraft. A feat which four people currently Like. A feat which currently makes me question the state of Like in America.